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Conspicuous by his absence from action last weekend, Ruby Walsh adorns the cover of the Irish Racing Yearbook 2009, published this week.

The six-time champion Irish jump jockey is the subject of a lead feature inside the 220-page book, in which members of his family and some weighing room colleagues give journalist John O’Brien a unique insight into the rider’s personality. “He’d never ever give you a back answer. No matter from what age,” says Ted, his father. Describing Ruby’s competitive nature, his sister and agent Jennifer says: “If you had him in seven races on a card he’d want to be in eight.”

Also featured is the reigning champion British owner David Johnson. As the global recession sets in, the founder of Commercial First Mortgages talks about how the credit crunch has forced him to make hundreds of redundancies and drastically scale back his racing commitments. The economic downturn has hit Ireland’s on course bookmakers too and one prominent layer told the Yearbook: “In 10 years time I can see a situation where there will be no racecourse bookmakers at a lot of meetings.”

There are also features on Harry Findlay, Ballymacoll Stud, breeders of Conduit, in-form trainer Davy Fitzgerald, jockeys Seamie Heffernan and the Mullins cousins Danny, Emmet and Patrick.

Among the other features are horses to follow lists from Timeform, Turform and respected racing journalists, point-to-point articles, a comprehensive breeding section with detailed sire statistics, racing records, admission vouchers for Irish racecourses and the chance to win over €2,000 worth of prizes in an unusual quiz.

For further information, or to receive a review copy of the Yearbook, contact:
The Irish Racing Yearbook, 29 Lower Patrick Street, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
Tel (056) 7761504 or email irene@fabs.ie